OAT Ancient Kingdoms

Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia with coasts on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It borders Myanmar (Burma) to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the southeast and Malaysia to the south.

With great food, a tropical climate, fascinating culture and well-known beaches, Thailand is a magnet for travelers the world over. In fact, Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here: thick jungle as green as can be, crystal blue water that feels more like a warm bath than a swim in the ocean and food that can curl your nose hairs while tap dancing across your taste buds. Exotic, yet safe and largely hassle-free; cheap, yet equipped with every modern amenity, there is something here for every interest and every price bracket.

Conveniently located in a quiet lane just off bustling Sukhumvit Road, the Grand Mercure Park Avenue is a 4 star hotel offering 221 elegantly decorated rooms and restaurants featuring Italian and Thai cuisine. The BTS Phromphong sky train station is 500metres from the hotel, providing easy access to other entertainment areas in the city. For business travellers, the hotel offers easy access to the famous Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, only 10 minutes drive away.

The spectacular Grand Palace is an example of great architecture and the one of the best in of Bangkok's impressive collection of temples and palaces. Although the Royal Family no longer resides here, the Palace is still used for ceremonial purposes, and most of it remains closed to the public. However, the four main buildings are incorporated in the grounds of the glittering Wat Phra Keo and must be visited to experience their brilliant, diverse styles. Appropriate dress code required.

This light-and-sound presentation focuses on the history of one of Bangkok's most famous landmarks, Wat Arun, which was named after the Indian God of Dawn, Aruna. The temple features a porcelain-encrusted, 79-meter central pagoda, Phra Prang, that sparkles in the sun. It also has four towers symbolizing Mount Meru, the terrestrial representation of the 33 heavens. King Taksin selected it as a royal temple in 1767 as it was the first place in Thonburi to catch the early morning light. It housed the Emerald Buddha after it was recaptured from Laos and before it was moved to Wat Phra Kaeo in 1875.

Conveniently located in a quiet lane just off bustling Sukhumvit Road, the Grand Mercure Park Avenue is a 4 star hotel offering 221 elegantly decorated rooms and restaurants featuring Italian and Thai cuisine. The BTS Phromphong sky train station is 500metres from the hotel, providing easy access to other entertainment areas in the city. For business travellers, the hotel offers easy access to the famous Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, only 10 minutes drive away.

Serving as Thailand's capital from 1350, Ayutthaya was sacked by the Burmese in 1767. During its heyday, the city was a hub for international commerce. Now many come here to explore Thai history as it is a UNESCO World Heritage site with magnificent ruins spread throughout the city area. The best way to experience Ayutthaya is probably by bicycle, but take a guidebook so you know what you are seeing. The city is easily accessible by train or bus from Bangkok.

This Royal Palace dates back to the reign of King Rama V. The buildings within the palace represent a variety of Thai, Chinese and Victorian styles. Climb the spiral staircase to the top floor of the Red Chinese tower for a great view of the grounds. The small lake in the center features a large Thai pavilion, considered a classic example of Thai architecture. Today, the Royal Family sometimes uses the palace as a residence and for receptions or banquets. The Chao Phraya Express Boat Company runs tours to the Palace from Bangkok on the weekends.

Located on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, this Center presents the culture and history of Thailand. A range of handicrafts are made and displayed. Visitors can watch the craftspeople at work too. They can then purchase these beautiful crafts including painted umbrellas, pottery and Thai silk. Each evening, a cultural show is presented. First, enjoy a buffet dinner of traditional Thai food. After your meal, a short film will be shown about Thailand and life on the Chao Phraya River. Then relax and enjoy the showcase of traditional Thai music and dance.

Conveniently located in a quiet lane just off bustling Sukhumvit Road, the Grand Mercure Park Avenue is a 4 star hotel offering 221 elegantly decorated rooms and restaurants featuring Italian and Thai cuisine. The BTS Phromphong sky train station is 500metres from the hotel, providing easy access to other entertainment areas in the city. For business travellers, the hotel offers easy access to the famous Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, only 10 minutes drive away.

Laos, formally the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), is one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia, but also is one of the most beautiful. A mountainous and landlocked country, Laos shares borders with Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, Thailand to the west and Myanmar and China to the north.

The Lao National Tourism Administration uses the epithet “Jewel of the Mekong” to describe the country and its landscape of thick forests and rugged mountains, which draws many backpackers, spelunkers and ecotourists. Laos is also home to some of the most spectacular animal species in the world, most notably the Indochinese tiger, the giant gaur and the Asiatic elephant.

Laos boasts a few grand attractions, especially around the capital Vientiane and its former French colonial capital Luang Prubang in the north, as well as some surreal attractions, like the enigmatic Plain of Jars in Xiang Kong province. However, many traveleres are simply drawn by the laid-back lifestyle and the opportunity to knock back a few cold Beerlao while watching the sunsets on the Mekong. These visitors explain the country’s appeal by revealing that the true meaning of “Lao PDR” is Lao—Please Don’t Rush.

Compared to the hectic, bustling capitals in other Southeast Asia countries, Vientiane’s deliciously relaxing atmosphere makes it feel like the small town it is. After you’ve done the round of temples, the best thing to do here is wander down to one of the riverside beer gardens, kick back with a cold Beerlao (the Lao national beer) and watch the sun set over the Mekong.

However, the temples and stupas (Buddhist monuments) are numerous and extremely interesting, and include Wat Si Saket, the oldest standing temple in Vientiane, and Pha That Luang, the national symbol and most important religious monument in Laos. Other notable sites include Patuxai, a local rendition of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, the Lao National Museum and the nearby Buddha Park, a bizarre outdoor collection of huge concrete sculptures of Buddhist and Hindu deities and real and imaginary beasts.

Vientiane is the largest city in Laos, with an estimated population of 200,000 in the city itself and some 700,000 in Vientiane Prefecture.

This historic statue is said to be built on the cave of a dormant seven-headed dragon which rose to the rescue of the Vientiane population in the 1828 war with Thailand. Now standing guard over the town's center, the imposing and mysterious stupa is overgrown with moss and the black spire creates an ominous impression against the blue sky. Legends aside, it is a curious and fascinating sight in Asia where all that is precious normally glitters in gold. The old black stone feeds your imagination evoking bygone eras and ghosts from the past.

Hanoi may be the capital of Vietnam, but Ho Chi Minh City is where it all goes down. It is the largest city in the country, as well as its economic and industrial center, and reflects modern Vietnam like the charming capital city can't quite do. This means it's a fast, busy, loud place, but exciting and invigorating just the same.

Ho Chi Minh City has undergone several name changes, and was formerly known as Saigon, which is still used somewhat today. The city shows few signs of its beginnings as a humble fishing village, although its days under the French are evident in the wide, elegant boulevards and colonial architecture in the city's core. There are plenty of pagodas, museums—most notably the War Remnants Museum—and other tourist attractions here to keep one busy for days, although the true Ho Chi Minh City experience can be found in the streets, where vendors, markets and handmade Vietnamese goods abound.

This is one of the landmarks among the impressive avenues and open spaces north of Dong Khoi. The huge red-brick edifice with twin spires is placed between two streams of traffic and is a clear reminder that the French once ruled this city. Inside, the decor is relatively austere, but the church gets very full and very lively during services. This peaceful place is perfect for quiet contemplation. Sunday Mass is held at 9:30a.

Impossible to miss at one of the key intersections in the city center, Ben Thanh is the city's main market. Inside is a tightly organized grid of aisles, arranged according to product. Clothes, shoes and fabric dominate the front, before giving over to kitchenware, cooked food, fresh vegetables and a somewhat alarming display of seafood and meat (some of it still alive). There is plenty for the visitor to buy, but the main attraction is the way in which the bustling market is still very much part of the city's life and economy. The clock tower at the entrance of the market is actually considered as the city's major landmark.

A two-hour drive northwest out of Ho Chi Minh City brings you to the area of Cu Chi, famous for its maze of tunnels used by the Viet Cong in the war against the United States. Often little more than one meter high and 80 centimeters across, these tunnels were supply routes, kitchens, hospitals and training facilities. Crawl down a tunnel yourself (if you can fit) or try an AK47 rifle! Most travel companies run day trips to the Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai Temple.

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Despite its reputation as a 'rough' city, Phnom Penh is easy to get around and is a great introduction to Cambodia. For Western visitors, even those who have visited other Asian cities, Phnom Penh can be a bit of a shock. It can be very hot and its infrastructure is lacking. But things are changing. Development is on the rise and infrastructure is improving rapidly. Beautiful wide boulevards, fine colonial architecture and a park-like riverfront with cafés and restaurants make Phnom Penh a worthwhile destination.

Sisowath Quay is a boulevard that runs along the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap. It is home to cafés and shops and the better class of bar, and is  popular with tourists and ex-pat Westerners. The Royal Palace and its two magnificent pagodas in the Palace Grounds are worth seeing. 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was a school converted into Cambodia's most important prison in 1975. The museum is easily accessible and a must-see for everyone interested in Cambodia's recent past.